Peanut Butter Bars (No Bake!)

Some days were made for baking. When it’s cool outside, and you have lots of un-interrupted time and lots of fresh produce in your fridge, there is nothing better than spending a few hours creating marvelous meals and desserts. The kitchen gets all warm from the oven, and the house smells like brownies, or apple pie, or pot roast.

I believe in days like that. I can’t remember the last time I experienced one, but I believe they exist.

More frequently, I find myself with a great desire to bake, but with an empty pantry and a full calendar. Some day, my life will be calm. Today, I struggle to put dinner on the table in the twenty minutes we are all together between karate classes and piano lessons and homework. So today, I am making a treat that requires NO baking, only a FEW ingredients, and can be done QUICKLY. It’s the perfect weekday treat for a busy family.

I’m going to warn you now, though… DON’T lick the bowl. Just don’t.

Did you know you can purchase graham cracker crumbs in a box? Gone are the days of putting crackers in a ziploc bag and smashing them with a rolling pin. Gone are the days of using the bulky food processor to turn crackers into crumbs. Welcome the days of buying them already crushed! It’s a major time saver. Take your already crushed graham cracker crumbs and mix them with powdered sugar, butter, and peanut butter. The spread the mixture into a 9×13 pan.

Here’s the thing… if you lick the bowl, I guarantee you will take a spoon to the 9×13, before you even get it frosted. You’ll be tempted to eat the entire thing yourself, and hide the pan from your kids.

That’s not what happened to me, I’m just saying it could happen. *ahem*

You’ll frost these lovely bars with a combination of chocolate and peanut butter, which is a very lovely frosting indeed. These will need some time to cool and set up, but 30-60 minutes in the fridge ought to be enough. And that’s it. Voila! You’ll have a fabulous, no-bake, keep-them-coming-back, weekday dessert with only a few minutes of work.

Comments

Kyle came home the other day and told me I had to make these. He said they are amazing! I am going to try them for Father’s Day. Our family loves peanut butter. Thanks for your website Jen. I think I want to try every recipe!1

Out of all the Peanut Butter Bars that I’ve made, this is the easiest-and my favorite! I will always try the recipe “first” before I comment on it…Thank you, Jen! This is a keeper! Loved these quick and easy, delicious bars!

I’ve been making these for years, but in “ball” form. Found the recipe in a magazine when I was a young teenager…they were called Goobers. Every Christmas I have to make at least one batch…they go fast!

Trackbacks

[…] I made the seriously easiest and most delicious homemade dessert of all time. Which is good, because… I also made kettle corn, which took me a full seven tries to get right. I hosted my first giveaway. Maren won some Coconut Oil, and I’m looking forward to hearing what she does with it. […]